Chemiluminescent compositions which produce light upon admixture of two components are well known. The two components are kept separate until light is desired. At the desired time, the two components are mixed and light is produced. The intensity, duration and color of the light will depend on the ingredients of the two components.
The first component is an oxalate component which comprises an oxalate ester. The second component is an activator component which comprises a peroxide compound and a catalyst. The composition also includes a fluorescer which may be present in either component.
The chemiluminescent composition also must include a solvent. Typical prior art compositions require the presence of a solvent for the oxalate component and a solvent or mixture of solvents for the activator component. The solvents for the two components may be different but should be miscible.
The solvent selected for the oxalate component must solubilize the selected oxalate component and the solvent or mixture of solvents for the activator component must solubilize the selected peroxide and the selected catalyst. If the fluorescer is present in the oxalate component, the solvent selected for the oxalate component must solubilize the selected fluorescer as well as the selected oxalate compound. If the fluorescer is present in the activator component, the solvent must solubilize the selected fluorescer, the selected peroxide compound and the selected catalyst.
Typical solvents disclosed in the prior art for the oxalate component include esters such as ethyl acetate, ethyl benzoate, butyl benzoate, dimethyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, dioctyl phthalate, methyl formate, triacetin, diethyl oxalate, and dioctyl terphthalate; aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and butylbenzene; chlorinated hydrocarbons such as chlorobenzene, o-dichlorobenzene, m-dichlorobenzene, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, hexachloroethane and tetrachlorotetrafluoropropane. The prior art solvents of choice for the oxalate component are dibutylphthalate (most preferred) and butyl benzoate.
Typical solvents disclosed in the prior art for the activator component include alcohols such as t-butyl alcohol, ethanol, n-octanol, 3-methyl-3-pentanol and 3,6-dimethyloctanol-3; esters such as ethyl acetate, ethyl benzoate, dimethylphthalate, dibutylphthalate and propyl formate; ethers such as diethyl ether, diamyl ether, tetrahydrofuran, dioxane, diethylene glycol monobutyl ether, perfluoropropyl ether and 1,2-dimethoxyethane. The prior art solvent of choice for the activator component is a mixture of dimethylphthalate or dibutylphthalate and t-butyl alcohol.
U.S. Patent 3,816,326 to Bollyky discloses a number of types of organic solvents for the oxalate component, e.g.
a. Ethers and polyethers such as diethylene glycol diethyl ether, diethylene glycol dimethyl ether, ethylene glycol dimethyl ethers; PA1 b. Esters such as ethyl acetate, ethyl benzoate, dimethyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, dioctyl phthalate, methyl formate, triacetin, diethyl oxalate and dioctyl terphthalate; PA1 c. Aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and butylbenzene; PA1 d. Chlorinated hydrocarbons such as chlorobenzene, o-dichlorobenzene, m-dichlorobenzene, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, hexachloroethane and tetrachlorotetrafluoropropane. Of the above solvents, Bollyky prefers diethylene glycol diethyl ether, ethyl benzoate, dibutyl phthalate and dimethyl phthalate. PA1 a) an oxalate component comprising an oxalate ester; PA1 b) an activator component comprising a peroxide compound, a catalyst and preferably a solvent; PA1 c) a fluorescer contained in the oxalate component or in the activator component or in both the oxalate and the activator components; and PA1 d) a propylene glycol dihydrocarbyl ether solvent contained in the oxalate component.